Furniture display rack



Sept. 10, 1957 Filed June 15, 1955 M. J. LEVITIN FURNITURE DISPLAY RACK2 Sheets-Sheet l maelzle ifl INVENTOR.

ATTD R N EYS Sept: 10, 1957 M. J. LEVlTlN 2,805,776

FURNITURE DISPLAY RACK Filed June 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 16": "L Q. I.ill lh I INVENTOR;

6'2 ATTD R N EYS FURNITURE DISPLAY RACK Michael J. Levitin, Houston,Tex.

Application June 15, 1955, Serial No. 515,673

3 Claims. (Cl. 21127) This invention relates to frames for displayingobjects, articles, and particularly devices offered for sale, and inparticular, a rack or frame having side and end rails supported bytelescoping posts wherein articles, such as pieces of furniture, may besupported above other furniture positioned on a floor with pieces offurniture carried by the telescoping posts and other pieces carried bythe side and end rails positioned on upper ends of the posts.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for economizing ficorspace in a furniture showroom wherein a plurality of pieces of furnituremay be displayed in an area normally occupied by a single piece offurniture.

Various types of adjustable frames and display racks have been used fordiiferent purposes; however, for displaying large articles such asdavenports and other pieces of furniture to advantage it is desirablethat supporting elements be provided for holding large pieces offurniture in such a manner that the supporting elements aresubstantially obscured.

The object of this invent-ion is, therefore, to provide a display rackfor furniture and the like in which supporting elements of the rack areadapted to be adjusted to correspond with the pattern or shape offurniture to be displayed whereby the supporting frame or rack issubstantially covered by furniture displayed thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display rack for piecesof furniture in which the rack is adapted to be positioned overfurniture positioned on a floor and in which the rack is adapted tosupport furniture at upper ends of supporting elements and also atpoints midway of the height of said elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a furniture display rackwhich is adjustable to furniture of diiferent types and sizes in whichthe rack is of a simple and economcal construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionembodies end rails positioned upon upper ends of telescoping posts withadjustable side rails extending between ends of the end rails and with atelescoping strut connecting lower ends of the telescoping posts.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view showing the improved furnituredisplay rack with a davenport positioned on a horizontally disposedframe positioned above a similar :article of furniture and with thehorizontally disposed frame supported on telescoping corner posts.

Figure 2 is a perspective view [illustrating the construction of therack.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through one side of the frame at theupper end of the rack, taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section through one end of the frame at the upperend of the rack, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section, taken on line 55 of Figure 4,

hired States Patent-O ice showing one of the adjustable connectionsbetween the upper horizontally disposed frame and an upper section of atelescoping post, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the connection shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the lower part of the rackillustrating the telescoping strut for connecting the telescoping postsat the ends of the frame of the rack, parts being broken away and partsshown in section.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the improved furniture display rack of thisinvention includes slidably connected side rails having sections 10 and11, L-shaped in cross section, slidably mounted in sections 12 and 13,also L-shaped in cross section, one end of the rail 11 being connectedto an end rail 14 from which an end rail 15 depends. The end rail 15 isadjustably connected to the end rail 14 by bolts 16 with nuts 17 onthreaded ends and with the bolts extended through spaced openings 18 and19 of horizontally disposed flanges of the end rails 14- and 15. At theopposite end of the frame rail 2% is connected to an end rail 21 in amanner similar to the connection of end rail 14 with end rail 15, andwith bolts 16 and nuts 17 positioned in openings, such as the openings18, of a horizontally disposed flange 22 of the end rail 21 and theopenings 19 in a horizontally disposed flange 23 of the lower end rail20.

One end of the side rail 13 is secured, such as by welding, as shown atthe point 24, to the upper end rail 21 and one end of the rail 12 issecured, such as by welding, as shown at the point 25, to the extendedend of the lower end rail 20. One end of the rail 10 is connected to theextended end of the lower rail 15 also by welding, or the like, asindicated by the numeral 26.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the side rails 10 and 12 are connected bybolts 27 having nuts 28 on threaded ends thereof, the bolts beingpositioned in openings 29 of the rail 10 and 30 of the rail 12. The siderails ill and R3 are connected with similar bolts and by this means thelength of the display frame is readily adjustable.

A depending leg 31 of the end rail 15 and a corresponding leg 32 of theother end rail 26 are pivotally connected by studs 33 to upper ends ofvertically disposed telescoping rods 34 and 35, at the end of the frameon which the end rail 15 is positioned, and 36 and 37 on the end of theframe on which the end rail 20 is positioned and, as illustrated inFigure 2, the rods 34- and 35 are slidably mounted in tubes 33 and 39and the rods 36 and 37 similarly mounted in tubes 4i) and 41,respectively. The rods are secured in adjusted positions in the tubes byset screws 42, as illustrated in Figure 4. The set screws d2 arethreaded in bosses 43 on the sides of the tubes and spaced from upperends thereof.

The lower ends of the tubes of the telescoping posts are mounted, suchas by welding, to bars 44 and 45 and the bars are adjustably connectedwith a telescoping strut including a rod 46 positioned with one endsecured, such as by welding, to the bar 44 as shown at the point 47, anda tube 48 in which the rod 46 is slidably mounted and which is secured,such as by welding, as shown at the point 49, to the bar 45. The 'bar-14 is provided with downwardly extended ends or feet 5i? and 51 and thebar 45 is provided with similarly disposed ends or feet, as indicated bythe numerals 52 and 53. The rod 46 is secured in adjusted positions inthe tube 4 8 by a set screw 54, similar to the set screws 42.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the studs 33, which are positioned inopenings 55 in the legs 31 and 32 of the lower end rails 15 and 20 areprovided with heads 56 having radially disposed teeth 55'? on thesurfaces from 3 which the studs extend, and the opposite ends of thestuds are provided with threaded shanks 58 on which nuts 59 arepositioned.

With the upper frame of the display rack carriedtby th adjustabletelescopingtposts and with the legs 31' and.

32 of the lower L-shaped rails :and provided with slots 60, as shown inFigures 2 and 4, the elevation of the frame is adapted to be adjustedvertically and the frame is also adapted to he tilted withone side highand the other low to facilitate inspecting articles of furniturepositioned thereon. The furniture carrying frame is also adjustablelongitudinally and transversely so that it is adapted to support devicesof different sizes.

As illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the telescoping posts are inretracted positions, a davenport or settee 61 may be supported by therack above a similar davenport or settcc 62. With the posts extended topositions as illustrated in Figure 2, another davenport or otherfurniture may be clamped to the post and displayed between the articles61 and 62.

With the parts assembled as illustrated and described, furniture orother devices may be displayed at different elevations or in stackedrelation particularly when it is desired to economize in floor space,and when the rack is not in use it may readily be taken apart andcollapsed or folded for storage or shipping.

it will be understood that modifications, within the scope of theappended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A furniture display rack comprising a rectangular shaped frame havingside and end rails, means for adjusting the length of the side rails,said end rails including upper and lower L-shaped bars with horizontallydisposed legs of the upper bars resting upon horizontally disposed legsof the lower bars and said horizontally disposed legs of the bars havingspaced registering openings therein providing means for adjusting thewidth of the frame, bolts extended through the openings of thehorizontally disposed bars, vertical-1y disposed rods positioned withupper ends thereof pivotally connected to vertically positioned legs ofthe lower L-shaped bars of said end rails, vertically disposed tubes inwhich the rods are slidably mounted, set screws in the tubes forretaining the rods in adjusted positions, bars connecting lower ends ofthe tubes at the ends of the rack, said bars having downwardly disposedend sections forming feet, and a telescoping strut having clamping meanstherein positioned with ends thereof secured to the transverselydisposed bars.

2. A furniture display rack comprising a rectangular shaped frame havingside and end rails, said end rails including upper and lower L-shapedbars with horizonwith upper ends thereof pivotally connected tovertically positioned legs of the lower L-shaped bars of said end rails,vertically disposed tubes in which the rods are slidably mounted, setscrews in the tubes for retaining the rods in adjusted positions, barsconnecting lower ends of the tubes at the ends of the rack, said barshavin g downwardly disposed end sections forming feet, and a telescopingstrut having clamping means therein positioned with ends thereof securedto the transversely disposed bars, said transversely disposed end railshaving slots therein and the upper ends of the rods on one side of theframe being connected to the end rails in said slots whereby one side ofthe frame is adapted to be elevated in relation to the other.

3. in a furniture display rack, the combination which comprises arectangular shaped frame having side and end rails, the side rails beingformed with nested angle bars L-shdped in cross section and the endrails being formed with angle bars, also L-shaped in cross section andwith one angle bar positioned upon another and secured thereto by boltsin spaced openings of flanges thereof, said side rails also havingspaced openings therein to facilitate adjusting the railslongitudinally, posts having tubular lower sections with telescopingrods slidably mounted therein positioned to correspond with the endrails of the frame, means pivotal-1y connecting upper ends of the rodsto lower rails of the end rails of the frame, transversely disposed barshaving depending ends secured to lower ends of the posts, and atelescoping strut having clamping means therein extended longitudinallyof the rack and positioned with ends thereof conv nected to the bansupon which the telescoping posts are mounted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS516,347 Chamberlin Mar 13, 1894 1,688,561 Straubb Oct. 23, 19282,515,911 Thomas July 18, 1950 2,749,071 Remstein June 5, 1956 FOREIGNPATENTS 366,128 France July 20, 1906 1,004,090 France Nov. 21, 1951450,667 Great Britain July 22, 1936

